The Rangers will finish the regular season without Joc Pederson after the club decided his fractured left hand needs an injured-list stint rather than a late push through the pain. There is still a narrow October window: because the move is retroactive to Sept. 19, Pederson could be available if Texas reaches the American League Wild Card Series.
A painful turn after the Arizona game
- Pederson was hit on the left hand by a 93.3 mph fastball from Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt in the fifth inning of Texas’ Sept. 12 victory over Arizona.
- He remained in the game long enough to run the bases, then gave way to a pinch-hitter later that day.
- Early X-rays did not reveal a break, but follow-up examinations with a hand specialist found a fracture.
- The Rangers and Pederson initially explored whether he could remain in the lineup as a hitter. He had not played since the Arizona game and worked toward tee swings Tuesday, but the hand was not ready to let him be productive.
- The decision to place him on the injured list closes the door on a regular-season return.
It is another hit-by-pitch injury in Pederson’s first season in Texas. He also lost time in 2025 with a fracture in his right hand after a similar incident.
Before this latest setback, Pederson had supplied the left-handed side of the Rangers’ designated-hitter arrangement with Justin Foscue. Against right-handed pitching, Pederson posted a .245/.338/.496 line and hit 25 home runs, production Texas will have to replace over the season’s final stretch.
Quantrill’s season also ends
Texas also transferred right-hander Cal Quantrill from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day list, ending his eligibility for the postseason. Quantrill had gone on the injured list Sept. 20 with a right lat strain.
The move removes one of the club’s steadier starters from the possible October picture. Quantrill made 14 starts this season, all after Jack Leiter went down following June 21 ankle surgery. In those outings, Quantrill carried a 2.51 ERA, and he sharpened that mark to 1.82 across his final nine starts dating to July 28.
He entered Saturday having logged a career-best streak of six straight quality starts. For a Rangers club trying to keep its season alive, Pederson’s hand and Quantrill’s lat now leave two very different paths: one possible late return if a Wild Card berth is secured, and one finished season on the pitching side.
